The event that we celebrate today is certainly very picturesque. These three exotic figures—the Magi, who we sometimes call the Three Kings or the Wise Men—arrive in Bethlehem. They find the Christ child and kneel down, and they offer him their gifts, which are precious and just as exotic as they are: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. It is a scene that we like to imagine and sing about, and to make into paintings and statues in the Nativity Scene. And in many countries, appropriately, it is this day that has traditionally be the day of giving gifts, in imitation of the Magi giving gifts to the baby Jesus.

But as picturesque as this scene is, there is much more to see. We note that officially we do not call this day “Three Kings Day,” but rather “Epiphany”: a word that is a synonym of “revelation” or “manifestation.” (more…)

In our second reading today, we heard a portion of the famous chapter from the Letter to the Hebrews on faith. And how appropriate, during this Year of Faith, which began last October and will last until Christ the King Sunday in late November of this year.

And we know that faith was very important to our Lord Jesus during his years of earthly ministry. He praised great faith when he found it; he was disappointed when he found a lack of it; he chided his disciples at times for having “little faith”; he encouraged people to have faith and spoke about the great things that faith allowed to happen.